Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to Join “March For Our Lives” in Washington D.C.

February 27, 2018

DA’s Office is First Law Enforcement Agency to Announce Participation in March

New Summer Fellowship for High-School Student Survivors of Gun Violence Also Announced

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. today announced that members of the D.A.’s Office, together with survivors of gun violence from New York City, will travel to Washington, D.C., to join the “March For Our Lives” on March 24, 2018. Created after the fatal shooting of 17 students and teachers in Parkland, Florida, the March For Our Lives is inspired and led by young people to demand the timely passage of legislation to address gun violence, stop the epidemic of mass school shootings, and ensure that students can learn in safety.

District Attorney Vance also announced the creation of a new summer fellowship for two graduating high school seniors who have been affected by gun violence in their schools and communities.

“Brave, eloquent, and remarkably effective young people are leading the nation on gun violence – in a way that my generation never did,” said District Attorney Vance. “We are honored to stand behind them, and we hope that other law enforcement agencies will, too. Our new summer advocacy fellowship provides a unique platform to amplify their voices long after the march ends. Our public safety depends on their success.”

Manhattan D.A. Gun Control Advocacy Fellowship

Beginning in July 2018, the District Attorney’s Office will host a summer gun control advocacy fellowship for two graduating high school students who are survivors of school-based or other gun violence. The six-week Fellowship will provide students with a unique platform to advocate for strong gun laws through New York-based media, educate and mobilize young people in Manhattan communities, and strengthen bonds between the emerging youth movement and existing networks of advocates and survivors in New York City.

An application form for the Fellowship will be made available at manhattanda.org on March 5, 2018. The District Attorney’s Office will conduct local and national outreach to publicize the Fellowship opportunity in high schools and communities where school-based and other gun violence has taken place. Fellows must be 18-years-old on or before July 1, 2018.